BHS Hall of Fame Class of 2018 to be inducted Friday

BROOKINGS – Brookings High School will induct five members to its Athletics Hall of Fame during halftime of the football home opener on Friday, Aug. 31.

Kickoff at Dana Dykhouse Stadium on the South Dakota State University Campus is at 7 p.m. for the game versus the Mitchell Kernals.

The 1481 Grill and the BHS Athletics Department will host the inductees and their families and friends at a reception at the Brookings High School Commons prior to the game. The general public is invited to this meet and greet social from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.The menu is burger, baked beans and lemonade or water for $7.

The inductees were selected because they demonstrated exemplary accomplishments in educational sports as student-athletes or members of the athletics department staff at Brookings High School.

The 2018 Hall of Fame Class includes one inductee in each of five categories:

Pioneers – Don Rykhus (1952)

Veterans – Marty Johnson (1970)

Male – Mike Beaudoin (1979)

Female – Kelly Evans (2002)

Head Football Coach – Gary Maffett

The 1998 Eastern South Dakota Conference champions and State runners-up football team will also be recognized as the 2018 Bobcats Team of Honor.

Pioneers

Don Rykhus (1952)

Don Rykhus earned nine letters.Rykhus was a two-way starter in football – playing on teams that went 15-9-1. He was a key player for three seasons on the hard court. As a junior, the ‘Cats had a 17-6 record, shared the Eastern South Dakota Conference title and finished third at the Class A State Basketball Tournament. In 1952, Don was captain and selected All-Tourney and All-State as BHS won the ESD and State A basketball titles as the ‘Cats won 21 games, with their only loss in triple overtime.

Rykhus sprinted on great relay teams. As a sophomore, he ran on an 880-yard team that set a BHS record (1 minute, 33.9 seconds). In 1951, the 880 relay won a state title and the Bobcats were co-champions at the Class A State Track Meet. As a senior, the mile relay team won an ESD title and BHS finished second at the state meet.

Rykhus graduated from South Dakota State but the Korean War ended his basketball career.

Veterans

Marty Johnson (1970)

Marty Johnson was an outstanding player when tennis was still evolving as a SDHSAA sport and only included No. 1 singles and doubles matches.

Johnson won the Eastern South Dakota Conference singles championship as a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior at BHS, as well as three ESD doubles titles. He led the Bobcats to the 1967, 1969 and 1970 ESD team championships. BHS won the 1969 State Tennis Tournament as Marty won the singles title and teamed with Brian Otterness to win the doubles championship. He also won the singles championship at the 1970 State Tennis Tourney while the BHS doubles team finished second.

Marty graduated from South Dakota State University as a North Central Conference singles champion for the Jackrabbits’ tennis team.

Johnson returned to BHS as an art teacher and coached the Bobcat girls’ tennis team from 1974-78 and the boys’ tennis team from 1975-78.

Male

Mike Beaudoin (1979)

Mike Beaudoin was the BHS Outstanding Male Athlete as a senior when the ‘Cats were Eastern South Dakota Conference Cross Country Champions and undefeated until finishing third at the Class A State Meet, where he placed eighth. Beaudoin’s personal record at 5,000 meters was 16 minutes, 21 seconds. He was Most Inspirational as the ‘Cats went 14-9 and finished fifth at the 1979 State A Basketball Tournament. Mike was named Most Valuable as BHS won the 1979 Region Track and Field title and ran fourth at the State A Track Meet in the mile run, setting a new BHS record that converts to a 4:26.20 in the 1,600 meters and is still No. 3 of all time. Beaudoin also broke the 880-yard run record, with a time that converts to a 1:59.0 800 meters that is still No. 4 at BHS. He also anchored the sprint medley, mile and two-mile relays that set BHS records.

Beaudoin accepted a track scholarship at South Dakota State University but was unable to compete due to knee surgeries.

Female

Kelly Evans (2002)

Kelly Evans was truly a student-athlete. As a junior and senior, Evans was captain of the basketball team and its assist leader, as well as an outstanding defender. Kelly played outside hitter on volleyball squads that went 20-9 and 27-13. As a senior, she was captain and led the team with 339 digs as BHS qualified for the State Tournament.

In 2002, Evans was medalist at both the Eastern South Dakota Conference and State A Golf Tournaments. Her teammates picked her as Most Valuable and Most Inspirational while she played on teams that won six ESD titles and three state championships as the Bobcats never placed lower than third at state.

Kelly was on the Student Council, a National Merit Scholar and graduated first in her class. She was also selected to the SDHSAA All Classes Girls’ Elite 15 Squad.

Evans graduated from South Dakota State University, where she played golf for the Jackrabbits.

Head Football Coach

Gary Maffett

Gary Maffett graduated from South Dakota State University where he played quarterback and was selected as the 1979 North Central Conference Most Valuable Offensive Back and an All-America selection.

In 1981, Maffett joined the BHS staff as a wellness instructor and football, wrestling and track and field coach. He was the offensive coordinator while the ‘Cats compiled a 44-20 record and won the 1982 Eastern South Dakota Conference and 1983 State AA football titles. Gary was head football coach for 25 years (1987-2011), posting an 87-83 ESD record and retiring with 124 victories – the most in BHS history. He led three teams to the Dome: the 1998 team was ESD champs and State AA runners-up; the 2000 ‘Cats won the ESD and AA State championships; and the 2001 squad was the state runners-up.

Maffett’s honors include 1998 South Dakota Sportswriters High School Coach of the Year and South Dakota High School Coaches Association Football Coach of the Year and is a member of the South Dakota Football Coaches Hall of Fame.